A variety of scholars examine different aspects of Coptic Christian civilization in the Aswan and Nubia regions of Egypt over the past centuries.
These twenty-five essays about the Christian church and monasticism in Aswan and Nubia include references to their archaeological preservation and elements of material culture, marking them as an "outside" part of the church. Essays include Coptic ostraca from the Hagr Edfu, Macedonius (the first bishop of Philae), the beginnings of Christianity in Nubia, veneration of saints, the church at Dayr Anba Hadra, monastic life in Makuria, preserved objects, a three-dimensional digital reconstruction of a significant church, and the conservation of the mural paintings at St. Hatre monastery. Distributed in North America by Oxford University Press. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Christianity and monasticism have flourished along the Nile Valley in the Aswan region of Upper Egypt and in what was once Nubia, from as early as the fourth century until the present day. The contributors to this volume, international specialists in Coptology from around the world, examine various aspects of Coptic civilization in Aswan and Nubia over the past centuries. The complexity of Christian identity in Nubia, as distinct from Egypt, is examined in the context of church ritual and architecture. Many of the studies explore Coptic material culture: inscriptions, art, architecture, and archaeology; and language and literature. The archaeological and artistic heritage of monastic sites in Edfu, Aswan, Makuria, and Kom Ombo are highlighted, attesting to their important legacies in the region.
